CINCINNATI - The Ohio Department of Transportation
announced today the ramp from southbound Interstate 471 to Eggleston
Avenue will permanently close to traffic on Saturday, January 26,
2002.

"The Eggleston Avenue ramp was constructed with one sole
purpose: to alleviate traffic congestion while Fort Washington Way was
under construction," said Mike Flynn, District 8 Deputy Director
for the Ohio Department
of Transportation. "Since the ramp was designed for temporary
access to the southeast portion of downtown, it does not meet federal
design standards. The Federal Highway Administration approved
construction of the Eggleston ramp on the condition that it would be
temporary and would be closed following the completion of Fort
Washington Way."

Flynn stated the Eggleston Avenue ramp also poses serious safety
hazards if used on a long term basis:

The Eggleston exit ramp was designed to accommodate vehicles
moving at slower rates of speed through a construction zone. The
current ramp cannot safely handle vehicles traveling at normal, higher
rates of speed.

The Eggleston ramp is located too close to the Liberty Street
entrance ramp to I-471. There is not enough distance between the two
ramps to allow traffic to safely change lanes.

The lanes on the Eggleston ramp are too short to store an
adequate number of vehicles. This could result in backups on
Interstate 471.